PERTRONIX IGNITOR

I installed a Pertronix I unit in my 223 Engine well over five years ago and have had absolutley no issues with it. I installed the unit following the directions to the letter, regapped the plugs to .040 inches, fired it up and has been operating flawlessly since. That being said, I have heard of instances that you have found of some of the magnets turned wrong. As to the tape becoming undone, I have been thinking about removing that part and possibly trying to get some shrink sleeve the right size to install over the tape to prevent the tape from becoming undone. I still carry a set of points, condenser, and coil as backup.

Fred
 
If I remember correctly when I had a Pertronix unit on my car, the sleeve did use tape to hold the magnets. That unit was well over 15 years old, so that is the way they have been doing it for a while. I don't believe that they make that ring any other way...
 
havoline":p91ecigp said:
..... how do I know that my coil is getting alot more power to the spark plugs than before?? There a way to test that?? I am thinking about regapping the plugs would it be enough to go to .04 for starters? .....
Click to expand...

In all likelihood your plugs are getting LESS "power" than they were before, and will continue to do so until you open the gap. See, the coil only builds up voltage until there is JUST ENOUGH energy to jump the gap, at which point the current flows across the plug gap and the voltage drops to somewhere around 1000 volts or so (depends) but the actual break-through voltage is typically 15,000 volts or less.

But, but, I paid good money for a coil that puts out Sixty-Eleven Bazillion Kilo=Volts! Well, I don't believe there is anything inherently WRONG with your coil, but it really doesn't do anything special until you open up those plug gaps so that the coil truly has some more work that it CAN do. Using small gaps with a high-inductance coil is sorta like having Hulk Hogan push your grocery cart; sure he can do it but so can my Aunt Tillie.

Open those plug gaps, my friend! Open them .005 at a time until you find out that it's too much, then back it down a bit.
Have fun,
Joe
 
Joe, you say to open up the spark plug gap(s) .005 until you have gone too far. Question: How will you know when you have gone "too far", or too much gap??? Will you be able to tell by performance, the color of the plugs, or what??? Thanks!
 
Performance will suffer. Under heavy load at WOT it becomes much more difficult for the spark to jump the gap; this is when it is most likely to cause "missing".
Joe
 
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